Expansion member for belts and the like.



R. J. ONEILL, JR.

" EXPANSION MEMBER FOR BELTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-27, 1915.

21,177,264. 4 Patented Mar. 28,1916.

. INVENTOH. Qvewe ow ATTORNEY.

RICHARD J. ONEILL, JB., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

EXPANSION MEMBER FOR BELTS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January 27, 1915. Serial No. 4,605.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J. ONEILL, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Expansion Members for Belts and the like, of which the following is a specification. 4

' The objects of the invention are to provide an improved form of expansion member; to provide such a member which may be used at either the front or back of a belt, or both; to provide means in connection therewith to adjust the relation of the said member longitudinally of the belt, so that the'members may be positioned exactly at the back and front of the users body; to provide a stop to limit the contraction of the expansion member, and a separate stop to limit the expansion thereof; t utilize the Second mentioned stop to carry one end of the spring; to secure simplicity of construction and operagion and to obtain other advantages-and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the belt employing expansion member-s in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line AA thereof: Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view on line 13-13 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line C--C of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line D-D of Fig. 1.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a belt having a re silient expansi n member included in its length, but it will be obvious that although certain advantages and results peculiar to a belt may be obtained by use of my. improved expansion member therewith it is within the scope of the present invention to use my device with any other portion of ones apparel such as suspenders, or in fact, in any manner and place where the same may be found useful, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that as many of the members may be included in Specification of Letters Patent.

. The portion of the belt between the two plate and hold the two parts together.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

one belt or the like at the same time as may be found desirable or necessary. In the drawings, I have shown two of the members included in a belt 1 one of said members as 2, being shown as a buckle adapted to be positioned at the front of the wearers body to releasably affix the belt around his waist whereas the other of the nembers designated by numeral 3 is shown midway of the length of the belt adapted to be positioned at the back of the wearers body.

members 2, 3 is preferably in sections 4, 4 one section extending from one end of the buckle member 2 to one end of the second member 3 while the other section extends from the other end of said buckle member 2 to the corresponding end of the second member 3. Describing first this second member 3 shown more particularly in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, a preferably hollow body port1on 5 carries opposite slide plates 6, 6 longitudinally slidable therein in the same plane, with their outer ends projecting from opposite ends of the body portion 5. For illustrative purposes I have shown this body portion made up of substantially parallel back and front plates 7, Srespectively, the front plate being shown with its top and bottom'longitudinal edges bent toward the back plate and providing tabs 9 adapted to be bent over said back ends of the body portion are left open and from these ends pro'ect the slide plates, 6, 6, above described. jecting ends of the slide plates is a suitable means for adjustably attaching the belt section thereto. For this purpose. ears 10, 10 are turned up from the longitudinal side edges of said plates. adjacent their ends, and between the corresponding pairs of said ears are pivotally mounted gripping devices or clasps 11. 11. For urposes of illustration said clasps are each shown as suitable pieces of sheet metal providing pintles 1'2, 12 at opposite sides adapted to pivetallv support the clasp between said ears. said metal being bent at substantially right angles along the line between said pintles, providing thereby a transverse portion 13 preferably having teeth and adapte to grip the Upon each of these pro- The belt section between itself and the adjacent slide plate. The other end of said clasp forms a finger piece whereby the same may be manipulated and it will be understood when this portion of the clasp is swung to-' ward the body portion 5 of the member and lies substantially parallel to the slide plate, the transverse portion 13 is substantially perpendicular to the slide plate, and preferably extends between the line of pivotal support and the said slide plate. Since there are two of these clasps, one upon. each of the slide plates, both of the belt section 4, 4 may be adjusted, whereby not only the front buckle member 2 may be centered upon the wearers body but the rear member 3 may also be centered. Obviously the belt may be parted by releasing either one of the clasps l1, l1 and if so desired the buckle member 2 at the front may be dispensed with or a member 3 such as shown at the rear of the belt maybe substituted therefor. lVithin the hollow body portion 5 of the said member 3, the slide plates 6, 6 preferably are centrally slotted longitudinally from their inner ends toward the exposed ends, the slots being terminated at their ends toward the exposed ends of the slide plate by upturned cars 15, 15. tween these ears of the two plates i a tension spring 16 drawing the slide plates normally inward of the body portion toward each other.

Preferably the body portion 5 lies fiatwise against the opposite sides of the slide plates in order to slidably support the same, and in order to allow for the springs and ears above described, the metal of the body portion overlying the said spring, is stamped laterally outward providing a substantially semi-cylindrical channel or groove 17 less than the entire length of the body portion but long enough for the slide plate to be given the desired longitudinal movement. Since this groove 17 does not extend the entire length of the body portion, the metal at the ends thereof forms stops 18, 18 against which the cars will engage as the slide plates are moved to their extreme outward position. It is also preferable to provide stops for limiting the inward movement of the slide plates, and for illustrative purposes the metal of the body portion is pressed' inward centrally between its opposite ends thus forming a stop 19 in the path of the inner ends of the slide bars. Preferably I provide two such stops, one upon each side of the spring, and furthermore I preferably stamp said stops and the groove from the same side of the device upon which the clasps 11. 11 are mounted, so that the opposite side is not disfigured, and in the drawings the stamping is shown as having been drne upon the back plate 7.

The buckle member at the front of the Extending be-- belt. is of substantially the same construction as that shown at the back. except that it is divided in the middle and one part 20 is provided with an eye 21 and the other with a book 22. Said parts are each provided within a groove .24 with a spring 23 operating upon an ear 25 upon its slide plate 26, and the opposite end of the spring is attached to an car 27 turned inwardly toward the bodv portion from the end of the groove 24. The metal at the end of the groove away from the hook and eye, forms a stop against which the car 25 on the slide plate 26 will engage, and a stop 28 is stamped up from the body portion as in the previous case to lie in the path of the slide plate to limit its inward movement. The projecting ends of said slide plates are transversely slotted as at 29 to receive the ends of the belt sections 4, 4 which are inserted therethrough and doubled back upon themselves and sewed or otherwise permanently secured.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is,

1. An expansion member for belts or the like, comprising in combination a body portion providing a broad slide way and having a narrow longitudinal groove substantially midway between the side edges of said slideway, and a slide fitting said broad slideway and prevented from twisting thereby, said body portion and slide having stops limiting their relative movement and a spring within said groove normallv holding said slide in innermost position.

2. An expansion member for belts or the like, comprising in combination a bodv portion providing a broad slide way and having a narrow longitudinal groove substantially midway between the side edges of said slideway, and a slide fitting said broad slideway and prevented from twisting thereby, said slide having a transverse stop projecting into said groove and adapted to engage the end of said groove to limit the outward movement of said slide, and a spring within said groove normally holding said slide in innermost position.

3. An expansion member for belts or the.

like, comprising in combination a body portion providing a broad slide way and having a narrow longitudinal groove substantially midwav between the side edges of said slideway, and a slide fitting said broad slideway'and prevented from twisting thereby, said body portion having a portion of itself pressed inward providing a stop in the path of inward movement of the slide, and a spring within said groove normally holdingsaid slide inwardly against said stop.

l. An expansion member for belts or the like. comprising in combination a pair of sections forming a separable body portion providing broad slide .ways and having narrow longitudinal grooves substantially midnormally holding the same in innermost po- 1,177,2e4 v V 3 way between the side edges thereof, end sition With respect to the body portion.

ilides in both ends of the body ortion each RICHARD ONEILL, JR

av mg a transverse stop pro ect1ng into one of said grooves adapted to engage an end of Vitnesses:

said groove to limit outward movement of HOWARD P. KING,

the slide, and springs attached to said slides JANET A. Avnns. 

